Pope’s condolences for victims of Bangladesh building collapse

29 April, 2013 - Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his sorrow for the victims of Bangladesh’s tragic building collapse last week. The Pope’s condolences came before his weekly midday “Regina Coeli” prayer with a huge crowd of pilgrims and visitors in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square, after a Mass in which he conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 44 young men and women from around the world. Speaking from the window of the papal apartment overlooking St. Peter’s Square the Pope first spoke about the Virgin Mary as a model of how to welcome the Word of God and bear witness to the Risen Jesus. He then expressed his condolences and prayed for the victims of the tragic collapse of an 8-storey building near the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on April 24 in which at least 381 people have been feared killed. The illegally constructed building housed five garment factories employing thousands of workers. “I express my solidarity and profound closeness with the families mourning their loved ones and from the bottom of my heart I make a strong appeal so that the dignity and security of workers be always protected,” the Holy Father said in Italian. Earlier on Saturday, the Pope had also tweeted, “Join me in praying for the victims of the tragedy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that God will grant comfort and strength to their families.”